Magic and Myth, Steam and Steel (or, "The Adventures of the Fey-Team") IC

[Eurus]

Spoiler

Show

Wondering if that was her comrades already, Mara quietly eases the door shut and locks it once Owain leaves. If she was lucky, and that rumble really was her friends, she might be able to either stall the magus until it was too late for her to do anything or even subdue her outright. As a precaution, she weaves a minor charm of protection against the oppressive conformity so common to the empire.

(Using Protection from Law on self.)

[userpay]

Spoiler

Show

Tahl just stays where she is, on overview watch if you will, ready to dive into the fray when needed.

[Fishy]

Spoiler

Show

"And besides," Tula points out to the cowering halfling. "It's an Elemental. So technically it's a 'normal' creature and you're weird." She frowns, distracted by a passing thought. "Although, you're a Real Person, so I guess that counts, doesn't it? Maybe it's just us, then."

She ponders along those lines for a minute and a half, and then beams brightly as the thoqqua returns. "Thank you!"

"So. Shall we go save the day, then? One puppet in front and one behind, maybe?"

[DragoonWraith]

Bluebell, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

Err... actually, and I'm an idiot cuz I just realized this, Ráwen can only have one doll active at a time. Soooo... there's just the one, the Small Ironwood one. She's carrying the Tiny Wooden one, but it's inanimate right now. Care to rephrase?

[DragoonWraith]

Bluebell, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

(assuming Fishy rephrases it to only indicate one puppet)

Ráwen
"Ah, the play things cannot venture very far for very long. Has to stay pretty close. So if we want him to lead, I'll have to be right behind him. Don't have any problem with that, though."

[Fishy]

Spoiler

Show

"Sounds as much of a plan as anything we've got," Tulacea admits. "I don't remember any trouble, but if something does run into us down there, it's a bit of a squeeze for the two of us. After you, then. Blue? If you'd be a dear and arrange for our guest to take a nap, and then follow us down?"

She gets down onto all fours, frowning at the dirt on the papery bark of knees, and peers into the hole- and then up at the sky. "By the way, what walks on four legs at sunset?"

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Bluebell, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

You all manage to slip through the tunnel with little difficulty--it's a bit of a squeeze for Ráwen, but nothing too uncomfortable. The halfling is sleeping soundly behind you; with the distraction of your conversation and the thoqqua disappearing in motes of orange light, he didn't even get a chance to resist Bluebell's magic.

You come upon a three-way split in the tunnel, two ends of which essentially lead to the same place. Traveling up either one, you can see that there is already a small hole about four inches across where the thoqqua just barely poked its head through the topsoil. Just above your heads is a dark metal panel with six wheels around its perimeter--obviously the steam wagons the halfling spoke of--and through the gaps in the wheels you can see a few blue-clad soldiers in the camp.

Following the third slightly longer path, you come upon essentially the same scene, with two differences. First, there are no soldiers around, just tents, marked in gray and red rather than shades of blue. Second, you can see Owain wandering around in the vicinity of the wagon; Mara is nowhere in sight.

[DragoonWraith]

Bluebell, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

Ráwen
"A great many things use four legs at sunset. If you'd said 'no legs at sunset' I'd have offered 'worm' as a reference to the decay of mortal creatures after their death, but I'm afraid if there's a clever answer here I'm not seeing it."

Ráwen sees Owain, and quietly breathes a few words of power, connecting Blue, Owain, Tula, and herself in a quiet web of communication.

Bluebell, Owain, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

"Owain, it's Ráwen, don't look now but we're under the cart, in a tunnel a nice earth elemental made us. I've magicked us so that we can all hear each others' whispers. Where's Mara?"

OOC

Spoiler

Show

Standard action to cast Message on the four of us. No save - which I'm relieved to see, since I'm not sure it would have been automatically obvious to Owain that the magic was harmless.

[Demons_eye]

Bluebell, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

Shes in a wagon with the only mage. Two of them have fey, one with their commanders and the other with their soldiers. Do you guys have a plan? I think I could cause a distraction if needed.

Edit: Edited

[DragoonWraith]

Bluebell, Owain, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

Ráwen
"Well, if possible, it seems the plan is to whisk them away through this tunnel without the mortals suspecting a thing. While quietly amusing, I feel like there is more fun to be had here... but the 'no-fun rules' are in effect, it seems.

"Are we under one of the wagons with fey in it? Where's the other?"

[Demons_eye]

Bluebell, Owain, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

Owain takes out his staff knocks the ground twice and starts talking in Terran.

Terran

Spoiler

Show

Rocky, follow me and go into the others tunnel when we get close to the wagons with the fey.

"I am telling my earth elemental to show up in your tunnel when we get close to a wagon with the fey."

And with that Owain walks around until he is close to a heavily guarded wagon the fey are in.

[Fishy]

Bluebell, Owain, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

"Wait!" Tula hisses in a desperate whisper. "The flags! There are more of the other ones than the ones here, which means the ones here are the ones from the ones who weren't here, which means these guys cut up the ambassador!"

"We have to hit this one... On the way back," she decides, and crawls back down the tunnel towards the wagons with the captives.

"Do you have something that can cut metal? Or melt it?"

[DragoonWraith]

Bluebell, Owain, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

Ráwen
"The who what now? What are you talking about? I can weave magics that will allow someone to cut through anything, but only once. Who can leave the biggest hole in one of these things?"

Ráwen can cast Heroics to give anyone Martial Study (Mountain Hammer) so they'll be able to ignore DR/Hardness for one attack - who do we want that on?

[Demons_eye]

Bluebell, Owain, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

"Rocky is stronger than I am and I think he might be able to do it. Unless some one else wants too." Owain says. Rocky appears slowly from the ground takes his staff and appears next to the others.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Bluebell, Owain, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

The earth elemental draws back its head in a ponderous motion; as soon as Ráwen's magic is worked, it slams into the bottom of the wagon with a muted thud. The floor of the wagon crumples almost half a foot in, and bits of lead flutter down from the impact site.

Soldiers all around camp perk up a bit on hearing the noise, looking around warily. It isn't clear quite where the sound came from, as the lead coating muted the sound and they can't see the bottom of the wagon, but the next impact will definitely be much louder.

[Demons_eye]

Bluebell, Owain, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

"What now?"

[Fishy]

Bluebell, Owain, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

"Excuse me," Tulacea squeezes past Rocky, clambering into the tight space between the dirt floor and the undercarriage of the wagon. "Keep working on that wagon- I'm sure you've got something..."

Tula is going to wait under the wagon for now, if Bad Guys start showing up in large numbers, she'll fire a 40' cone of Sculpted Entangle at them.

[DragoonWraith]

Bluebell, Owain, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

Ráwen
"Ahh, as a matter of fact, I think the better answer is to call in the experts."

And with that Ráwen casts Summon Monster IV for an Ooze Mephit, and has it start acidifying the area where Rocky just smashed. "I hope everyone inside is smart enough to stay away from the jagged metal we're clearly trying to go through..."

---

* post roll count doesn't match database

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Bluebell, Owain, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

A bit of the ground under the wagon softens to mud and begins to bubble and roil, then rises into the vaguely humanoid shape of an ooze mephit. All it takes is a gesture to the crumpled metal and the mephit cackles and steps up to it. Pressing its mouth against the area, the mephit makes a sound that in any mortal would indicate it had just vomited out its internal organs; with a sharp crackling sound, the metal slowly begins to melt and flow away. A few drops of acid spatter onto some of you, and they burn very slightly; a few globs of molten cold iron drop onto you, and those burn significantly more.

A minute or two later, the mephit stops making its disgusting noises and steps away from the hole with a very self-satisfied expression. There is now a hole about two feet across in the bottom of the wagon, and from what you can see the interior is perfectly dark. The mephit sinks into a puddle of muck, making happy burbling noises while it waits for another command.

[userpay]

Spoiler

Show

Tahl flutters closer to the wagons, keeping near the trees, something seems to be happening at least.

[Demons_eye]

Bluebell, Owain, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

"Are you guys alright?" Owain asks into the wagon

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Bluebell, Owain, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

A cold voice emanates from the hole--not "cold" in the sense of emotionless, but "cold" in that it sounds like a chill wind whipping across a tundra landscape. "Our current situation is somewhat less than pleasant, but we remain unharmed. Might I enquire as to whom you might be?"

Another voice can be heard from the darkness, this one reminiscent of birdsong. "The fact that they gained entrance in a rather unconventional manner implies that they are not of the Empire." "Which in no way affirms their allegiance," rejoins the other voice, "except to state that they are not Imperial." After a dramatic sigh, the other voice speaks again: "Please, enter, and feel welcome, the concerns of my companion notwithstanding."

Mara

Spoiler

Show

The magus reappears from behind the curtain, her familiar at her heels. "Well, that definitely wasn't an earthquake. I'm not sure what exactly is happening, but my guess is that the Wyldfae who gave you trouble are taking a shot at the camp. I think I'll go take a look around." She motions at the door; after a moment, it remains closed. She motions several more times, then looks quizzically at the door...and then suspiciously at you. "Funny; I don't remember locking the door. And your friend isn't back."

Without taking her eyes off you, she retrieves a small glass ball full of green-glowing liquid from one of her pockets and reaches back behind the curtain to grab the crossbow device she was working on. Slotting the ball into the front of the device, she raises it to point almost-but-not-quite at you. "I think you owe me some answers."

[Demons_eye]

Bluebell, Owain, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

Owain starts to help the other, that fit into the hole, get in the wagon if they wish. He then hoists himself up and tells Rocky to keep an eye out.

"We have come from the courts to rescue you. Names Owain, nice to meet you."

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Bluebell, Owain, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

That is good to hear. I am Duke Forradar of the Court of Frost." You hear a rattle of chains off to one side of the wagon. "You'll pardon me if I neglect to shake your hand."

"I am Lady Strophistos of the Court of the Woods. How many accompany you?"

[DragoonWraith]

Bluebell, Owain, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

Ráwen
"We under the cart are three; there are another two sneaking about the camp, looking to make distractions, and another in the forest keeping an eye out for us. How many are there in that cart, just the two of you?"

[Eurus]

Spoiler

Show

Mara sighs, and glances at the door. She briefly considers buying herself a few more seconds by lying, or even trying to charm the mage, but brushes those options aside after a moment. "I think you can probably guess. This is a rescue mission, and my friend and I are the advance party. Look, you can fight your way through me if you really want, but they'll be gone by the time you do anyway, and I'd really rather avoid violence. I know you imperials aren't all sociopaths; you've got to realize that it's unethical to have those fae locked up and tormented like that anyway."

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Bluebell, Owain, Ráwen, and Tula

Spoiler

Show

"Indeed, we number but two. Our assistants and servants are in a separate cart; which, I could not say."

Mara

Spoiler

Show

"I don't think I've heard anyone call the Imperial leadership a bunch of sociopaths before, but I guess that's what using cold iron makes someone, from your perspective." Julia lowers her device, but doesn't put it away. "I expected a rescue attempt at some point, but you don't look like any fey I've seen...? Anyway, they're not really being tortured; you've guessed my stance on it accurately enough. My centurion asked for cold iron and sharp objects and such when we first captured them, and I didn't know why he needed them so I gave him some; it turned out he was torturing some of the fey soldiers with them, so I took them back and didn't give him any more. Yes, they're held in cold iron wagons, but that's not because they're captured fey, it's that we need cold iron to contain the elementals that generate the steam.

"The commanders are being treated better, though, don't worry about that. In fact, I heard the centurion talking to them right after we captured them, and he sounded more like a longtime rival than a malicious captor. Hells, if I didn't know any better, I'd say they were friends, the way he gave them books to read and cushions to sit on--though if I was holding important captives, I wouldn't want them damaged and uncooperative, either, so...."

The magus lets out a heavy breath and sinks into a chair across from you. "What happens now? You were honest with me, I'll be frank with you: I don't prepare combat spells, so I can't really hold you here by force...but I can't just let you go either--we're officially at war."

[Eurus]

Spoiler

Show

"I wait here, and keep you here so you don't raise an alarm, until I think they've freed the captured fey. Then I leave with them. After that, I assume you'll send men to give chase, but I'm not exactly worried; I've yet to see a group of soldiers who could keep up with a band of fae in the woods. Since you're not a combat mage, it doesn't really matter if you 'let' me go or not; for all intents and purposes, you're being held hostage by a hostile fae. I'm not sure exactly how things work here, but I doubt they'll hold you too guilty for that."

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Mara

Spoiler

Show

"They should accept that explanation." The magus turns back to her desk and retrieves some tools from a drawer. "If we'll be here anyway, I might as well finish my improvements. Anabelle, keep an eye on her, would you dear?" Her familiar gives a little nod and hops into your lap, purring softly.

[Eurus]

Spoiler

Show

Mara doesn't entirely let her guard down, but she does try to at least relax a bit as she sits again. She couldn't be sure that the magus was telling the truth about not having any combat magic, but it would certainly make sense - as the Magus Tertius, it wasn't her job to prepare combat spells. Hopefully, the rescue would go off just fine and they'd be out of this camp within the hour.